OPINION: Dougie Freedman sacking by Nottingham Forest is unfair

Steve Corry

Dougie Freedman’s departure from Nottingham Forest was something I predicted but I don’t agree with.

I said in last week’s blog that his sacking could well happen, but even so I thought it would be at the season’s end.

For me it is unjustified because during his time in charge he hasn’t had a full squad to pick from.

Personally I’d have liked to have seen him finish the season and then have a crack at the early stages of the next.

He has performed well given all of the obstacles that have littered his path, in comparison to Stuart Pearce who had a brilliant squad from which to pick.

If you break it down, Freedman had to scour the loan market during the current embargo whilst the injury list turned into something of a scroll.

Look at the quality of those signings; Nelson Oliveira is our leading scorer and was brought in at a time when we were desperate for goals. Pinillos (now permanent) has been arguably the best left back since Pearce and even Jokic has been a worthy replacement for him also.

Mendes and O’Grady haven’t set the world alight but they have certainly come in useful when it’s mattered, QPR away springs to mind.

Would Freedman have been as negative if he was able to pick Britt Assombalonga in his starting line up?

So we are left to look back on a series of hard fought one nil wins courtesy of a lone striker policy on the road, but how else could we have taken three points at the likes of Middlesbrough and Leeds? Relegation was not an option in our 150th year and despite not actually being safe just yet, I don’t believe for a second that we’d have gone down under Freedman.

So let’s have a look at the Owner and Chairman; there are a number of possible reasons that he’s chosen to axe the manager at this juncture.

We play Derby County next week and it may well be that Fawaz is so concerned about the bragging rights that he’s made this change.

Or, is it merely a deflection away from his own financial misgivings of late? Then of course there’s the possibility of the next fall guy already being in place and ready to go.

I’m really pleased to see the backlash regarding Freedman’s premature departure; it restores my faith in the fans of this club.

A lot have moaned and groaned at the negative style of play but deep down they actually realise that Dougie has been swimming against the current with his arms tied behind his back. I’m not alone when I say that he should have been given ten games into the new season with Assombalonga leading the line.

Dougie has earned the right to do that in my eyes, but as you are aware there is no justice in football and especially at Nottingham Forest.

So the next question is one I’ve seen all over social media; “Who in their right mind would want to come and take this job on?” I truly believe that Nigel Pearson may be in line, he’s kept a very low profile for some time now.

He’s a Nottingham lad, but not a Forest fan from what I hear, he also knows the Championship better than most managers too.

As for his conduct and people skills, I think he’d be perfect in that department. Really you ask?

There is a faction at this club who still think we are champions of Europe, the silver fox brigade. You know the ones I mean, they start yelling and screaming after one misplaced pass and generally moan from August until May.

They’ve had their say twice before with “Bring back Billy” and “Get Psycho in charge” and as I’ve said many times before, it failed catastrophically.

They are the kind of supporters (I use the term loosely) that Pearson wouldn’t think twice about verbally abusing to their faces and that’s fine by me.

Before you ask if I think that’s acceptable conduct from a manager cast your mind back to Cloughie punching his own fans in the face after that QPR game. Was that acceptable?

I’m guessing the answer will be “Yea, because we won things with Clough.” So IF Nigel Pearson did take over and steers us back to the Promised Land, you just know that his off field antics will be forgotten in a flash!

Who do YOU want to see become the new Forest boss? email sport.nmsy@jpress.co.uk